Digital Monsters Adventure Ev0
by OneLonelyPickle
Summary: Join the Chosen Children and their Digimon as they embark on an adventure that dwarfs any they have been on before. They'll have to fight all manner of villains to save their worlds, and freedom will not come without sacrifices. Adventure 02 cast and OCs.
1. Tasting Ramen

**Digital Monsters Adventure / Ev0**

_An epic Digimon tale, set in the Adventure 01 / 02 universe, by OneLonelyPickle (Zach)_

**Chapter 1 :**

**Tasting Ramen**

"P-Please..."

The woman plead, but the monster chasing her didn't slow its long strides in the least. It breathed heavily as it squeezed through the alleyway in order to catch its victim. Under its breath it was asking, "The child...the child...". The woman finally escaped out into the open street, which was a big mistake because her assailant could now move freely. Before it snatched her, however, two policemen stepped in.

They tried to stop the agile giant using their tasers and handguns, but that did little, save annoy the creature. The fiend swung its left arm like a club and smacked one of the officers, sending him whizzing into a nearby taxi. The other, already having run inside a building for safety, was struggling to pull out his hand-held transceiver (Walkie-talkie).

"There's a big problem here in Minato! Some huge monster is attacking the civilians and flipping over cars...and bad stuff like that! Err, I'd like to request some backup at, um—" a massive explosion, caused by a thrown sports car, shook the building from the outside and knocked the officer over— "JUST HELP ME DAMMIT!"

As those final words of desperation left his mouth, the police officer was pulled out violently by the monster. It held him up in front of its face, and the officer struggled to break free from what he thought was snack time for the monster. Instead, the creature calmed down.

"I need directions. Answer truthfully and live. Otherwise..." it bellowed, shaking the man from side to side like a pork chop and licking its lips.

*****Elsewhere*****

Just like every other day in April, the fourth was warm and long. Beautiful bird songs graced the ears of Japanese citizens, and the blossoms were once again in bloom.

Just the way Motomiya Daisuke and his Digimon partner, V-Mon, liked it. The spiky haired boy lounged in a tree with his faithful dragon companion by his side...figuratively speaking, of course, as V-Mon was actually on the other side of the medium-sized sakura.

Neither of them ever said anything when they were there, because this was the one time they didn't open their big mouths. They just enjoyed the silence others wished they'd embrace all the time. A light breeze ever-so gently shook the branches, and a strange smell filled the air. That is, strange to anyone who didn't love the source of it, and believe me, that's not more than a dozen or so people and Digimon.

Accompanying the smell was a rumbling sort of sound, like the turning of the wooden wheels on a wagon. Daisuke opened one eye and peered through the foliage. He knew what to expect when he looked. Behind him, V-Mon had jumped off of their perch with a thud onto the coarse spring grass that filled the park. He ran like a child towards the visitor and his burden. Daisuke smiled.

***Moments Later***

"How about this flavour? Do you like it?"

"Meh, it's not bad, I guess..."

"And this one? Too spicy? Not spicy enough?"

"It's so-so."

"And the texture of the noodles...is it soft or hard, or is it just right—talk to me Motomiya!"

"Well, they're just all so...terrible. There, I said it."

The ramen cart owner sighed. He let his head fall in shame, and Daisuke placed the bowl back on the cart. V-Mon, however, was on his fifth helping. Daisuke and V-Mon had pretty much the same preferences for EVERYTHING, except how ramen should taste; V-Mon preferred exotic flavours that never tasted the same twice, while Daisuke preferred things that had a definite, delicious taste.

"How about if I added more salt, or perhaps curry powder? Would that help?" the old man tried again.

"Err...probably not. I was thinking more along the lines of—"

"ANOTHER BOWL PLEASE, MISTAH RAMEN MAN!" interrupted V-Mon, holding out his bowl and grinning from ear to ear, "Don't listen to Daisuke, the ramen is great!"

"I didn't say it wasn't 'great', it's just not perfect. And perfection is the key to doing good in the ramen business."

Happily, the old ramen cart owner placed the last of the soupy noodle dish into the begging Digimon's bowl.

"Well I'm glad someone likes this old recipe of mine," he said, turning back to Daisuke, "and what's this about the ramen business? You think yourself an expert Motomiya Daisuke?"

The spiky-haired teenager smiled, "Of course I do! I wanna be the world's best ramen cook, remember? I told you all about it!"

"Hah, ya ya, I know. I hear about ramen all day; it's my goddamn life. What I really wanna hear more about is your adventures."

"Oh, our adventures? Well, this one time, me and V-Mon had to fight an evil robotic vampire dude and save the earth... oh, and another time I really had to go to the washroom at the mall but they were all closed. You don't even wanna know where I was forced to go!"

The old man chuckled, "I think I want to hear more about this 'evil robotic vampire dude'. You mean BelialVamdemon, right?"

Daisuke nodded, "He tried to steal all the hearts of the children in Japan...or something screwed up like that—y'know, I didn't really pay all that much attention to the explanation, I just wanted to kick his big silver butt back to the 'Battlestar Galactica' convention he crawled out of."

Another gust of wind, much stronger than the last, rattled the cart. It snapped V-Mon out of his ramen trance, and it was then that he noticed the figure standing in the field watching them. It was a humanoid in a cloak. Whether it was a Digimon, a human, or some third thing, V-Mon could not tell. But as soon as it noticed it was spotted it began to speak.

"Motomiya Daisuke, there is little time to explain the situation, and out of fear of being spied upon, I will make it as brief as possible," the cloaked being said. The boy in question turned around, a blank look on his face.

"I need to take your Digimon with me somewhere. I don't know how long he will be under my care, but I will come back soon to explain everything."

Daisuke choked, "W-wait, what?"

"Please, trust me, Chosen Child. Everything will make sense eventually, but for now, I need to bring your V-Mon somewhere with me. If I say too much, and our enemies hear, it'll be trouble."

"Now, come here," the cloaked figure said, looking at the short, blue dragon behind Daisuke. V-Mon started to walk forward, but was held back by his partner.

"Sorry buddy, but the only way I'd ever just hand over my best friend to some freak in a hood is if that freak took him over my dead body! So start explaining, or start fighting; what'll it be?"

The mysterious figure nodded. "Very well," he said, slightly annoyed, "I've heard of how stubborn you are. Should've expected this I suppose."

Wind blew once more over the mostly-open field, and in half a second the figure was floating in front of Daisuke. A slender brown tail emerged from under the cloak and wrapped itself around the little blue dragon. He placed a furry hand on Daisuke's chest.

"This...may hurt a bit. Sorry."

***BANG***

The force of the strange ability was like a shotgun. It pushed Daisuke violently to the ground, easily causing him to release V-Mon in the process. The tail brought the Digimon into the arms of the figure, and in another half-second he was back to his original position.

Daisuke got back up quick as a flash, stepped forward, but was stopped when the ramen cart owner grabbed his arm. "Let me go! Let me go dammit!" The cloaked figure through a strange grey card on the ground. Seconds later a red circle of rotating energy materialized; it was a portal.

"You will be in danger without your partner. Try to stay close to other Digimon Tamers. Avoid large crowds. Don't talk about not having a Digimon in the open. Stay inside or hidden as much as you can while V-Mon is away."

Daisuke broke free of the cart owner's grip and sprang forth. Numerous thorny roots broke through from the earth and entangled him. V-Mon cried out, "Daisuke!" He struggled to get loose from the tail's iron grip, but it was akin to a child escaping a parent's grasp.

"I'm gonna clobber you, whoever you are! You just messed with the wrong dragon, fella!"

"I sincerely apologize for having to do all this, but it is for your own good. I know what you would suggest. You would accompany V-Mon, as you are already aware this is a matter of grave importance. I get it. But you must trust that I only do this to insure the safety of you and V-Mon."

With that, the figure stepped through the portal. V-Mon shouted before he was pulled in, "Daisuke! Don't worry, it'll be okay! I won't let him do any—". And the swirling energy stopped.

With cuts and gouges covering his body Daisuke sprinted forward to where the portal once was. He fell to his knees and punched the ground. He gritted his teeth and cursed.

"I want answers, damn it! Where are you taking V-Mon? What's putting me in danger? Come back! COME BACK HERE DAMMIT!" Daisuke shouted at the sky. Nobody replied, except the ramen cart owner put his hand on the boy's shoulder. He patted it sympathetically.

"Come on, boy... let's get out of here. I have a bad feeling about all of this. Everyone else has left the park." Daisuke stood up, his hands still balled up into fists. He pulled his Digivice out of his pocket. It was turned off, and when he tried to turn it on, it would not respond. V-Mon, wherever he may have been, was not on Earth.

Before the two had even set foot back unto the dirt trail the ramen cart was resting beside, a violet mass arose in the east behind some low-rising buildings. Daisuke saw it first and alerted the cart owner.

It was the monster from Minato, and it had found its destination, courtesy of the police officer it still held in its massive left hand. The pleading young man put his hands together and begged the thing to let it go, but it did not. Instead, it devoured the officer in one gulp, and entered the park. A disgusted Daisuke ran away as fast as his legs could take him.

"Foolish move. Now I know you're my target after all, Child of Courage," said the giant, as it picked up a tree and whipped it at the escaping boy. The ramen cart owner, himself escaping across the field, called out, "Watch out, Daisuke!"

He didn't seem to hear what was being said to him, and so it was lucky that the tree was thrown too short. It landed just a metre behind where Daisuke was. This angered the monster, and it rushed forward, trying to close the large gap that had formed between it and its prey.

Daisuke wanted to find other people, perhaps ask them for help, but he remembered the cloaked figure's words, and instead chose to hide somewhere he couldn't be followed by the giant. He found the closest sewer grate he could find, and using something that can only be described as testosterone-fuelled superhuman strength, pulled it right out of the ground with no struggle. He jumped into the hole just as the large creature swung its lanky arm.

"Run, hide, **fear me! **You will not be safe forever, Child. I'll be waiting for you when you arise once more."

***Some Time Later...***

It was a sewer, alright, as it stunk of a sumo wrestler's used loincloth, and then some. There was no light, so Daisuke was forced to feel his way through the dank tunnel, the grimy substance on the walls sending a chill down his spine as he touched it.

Different feelings flooded the boy's mind; fear, most of all, but also anger and sadness. Some memories flooded into his mind, but one in particular stood out among the rest, _"...murdered...only plausible cause of death..."_ were the words he kept hearing over and over again.

After gaining a little ground, Daisuke's brain felt ready to burst. He tried his hardest to calm down a little. He remembered that he still had his D-Terminal with him, so he could try to call for help. Most of his old contacts would be of no help; they were either no longer in Tokyo, or were not on speaking terms.

Daisuke kicked the wall, and nearly slipped into the dirty stream of water dividing the two sides of the tunnel. He breathed a sigh of relief as he regained his balance, and held the D-Terminal out with a twitchy arm like a flashlight.

"W-well, at least I can see where I'm going now, hehe," murmured the crazy kid, attempting a smile once again even after everything that had happened. Smiles only reminded him of V-Mon.

"V-Mon...I hope you're at least in a safe place. Whenever we both meet again I'm going to buy us the biggest pile of chocolate I can find! And we'll pig out like we always do! Just you..."

Tears streamed down the boy's face as he realized he was on his knees sobbing. Sounds echoed behind him.

"...just you, and me...just the way it's been...since we all split up..."

Preview – **Chapter 2 : **Two years ago, a young woman left Tokyo to chase her dreams. Her boyfriend followed, and eventually all the older kids who once travelled to the Digital World back in 1999 left their home-city to pursue a greater existence.

Six stayed behind, but one was taken from them. Five remained, and with their team now broken up, they eventually drifted away from one another.


	2. The Last Day Daisuke Remembers

**Chapter 2 :**

**The Last Day Daisuke Remembers**

**Two Years Earlier...**

There was always something about parties that Daisuke loved. Maybe it was everyone gathering together to celebrate a special event, or a special person. Perhaps it was the cake and the soda. It could even have been the dancing, but of course Daisuke never did much of that (though he used to dream he did).

The year was 2005, and the school year had ended. Takenouchi Sora had only just finished the eleventh grade, but as luck would have it, a once-in-a-lifetime chance arose; a chance to leave Japan at the ripe age of seventeen and take her chances in the fashion world. She wasn't going alone.

"...and the music scene in England is right where my band wants it," added Ishida Yamato, holding the hand of his girlfriend as they stood behind a podium, revealing the news to those who did not hear of it yet. It was graduation night for the seniors, but against all rules that could be enforced the student body had selected juniors to be the Prom Couple; it was never argued that Matt and Sora were the fittest for the role, as they were the most envied twosome of all the females, and even some of the male students, in Tokyo.

"Most people would think it crazy of us to go off chasing some kid's dream of fame and glory," Matt continued, as the growing crowd of two-hundred students (ranging from grades nine to twelve) looked on, "But I always did say my mom dropped me on the head as a baby."

Daisuke stopped teasing Iori about his funny looking suit long enough to notice the crowd laughing for seemingly no reason. Even V-Mon was giggling, though it was probably forced so he would fit in with everyone else. Not one to look out of place if he could help it, Daisuke decided to clap and cheer. "Woot!" he called repeatedly. This caught Matt's eye.

"Hey, it looks like Dorksuke's got something to say, guys," joked the blonde-haired heartthrob as he pointed at the (very loud) source of the cheering. Daisuke turned a deep scarlet as the music died down and the entire hall had its eyes on him. V-Mon tugged on his Tamer's sleeve.

"Do you have to pee again, Daisuke? I told you to lay off of the lemon seltzer shots, " he near-shouted, causing Daisuke to get even more embarrassed. The crowd roared in laughter. Daisuke tried to play it off as being part of his plan, and stood up. He bowed to the crowd quickly and waved, like some sort of comedian.

"I'm...going...to...kill you, V-Mon," he uttered so only he and his Digimon could hear. V-Mon gulped.

Like an ethereal being Tailmon suddenly arose between the two and grabbed the now even more surprised and abused V-Mon, dragging him towards another table. "Ahhh, help me!" cried the kidnap victim. Daisuke chuckled at his Digimon's expense and turned around again.

"...and nobody can forget my best friend, and longtime rival, Tai—who I'm surprised hasn't pulled a 'Daisuke' yet and ruined my speech with some stupid shouting."

The students looked around, expecting to see the mentioned person come out and reveal himself. Matt was straining his neck to find Yagami Taichi among the many students at their tables. He wasn't at the long row of buffet tables. He wasn't in the back with the older crowd, and he wasn't near the doors. Tai was usually the first to embarrass you at any special event, so it was more than a little surprising when he didn't chime up. When it was clear that he wasn't going to come forth, Sora took the mic.

"Tai? Are you here?" she asked, warranting another quick glance from the crowd. Still nothing. Unbeknownst to everyone except Ichijouji Ken (who had, only by luck, witnessed it), Tai had already left. It was right after the dance started, and more accurately right after he saw Yamato and Sora embrace. But even Ken wasn't aware that Tai had left to catch a late train to Hiroshima. He was joining the army.

The pseudo-search only lasted another two minutes before Matt let it go and changed the subject. Sora said something to him but he just smiled and turned back to the crowd. Yagami Hikari, or more personally known now-a-days as simply 'Kari', pulled out her D -Terminal. She quickly sent a message to her missing brother, a stern look condemning her normally sweet and beautiful face.

"I'm sure he has an important reason for leaving, Kari," Takaishi Takeru said, placing a supportive hand on his friend's shoulder. "You shouldn't worry about Tai. He'd never abandon Matt or Sora on any day, let alone at their going-away party (a more formal name for the event, as it was the reason why most of the non-graduating students attended)."

Hikari returned the words of sentiment with the hint of a smile, and nodded. Another, more sincere girl, however, put it as it truly was.

"Oh please, we all know why Tai left. He couldn't stand to see Matt and Sora together like this. Talking about leaving together, and dreams...it's exactly the kind of thing he wanted with Sora!" gossiped Inoue Miyako. Nobody replied at first, but soon after Hida Iori put in his own thoughts.

"I really think it's none of our business to begin with, Miyako. Leave the conspiracy theories to people who **don't **know Taichi as well as we do."

Ken noticed Daisuke sitting silently in his chair, and nudged him on the shoulder. Daisuke looked up.

"Yeah?" he casually said. Ken smiled. "You look like you've just had your heart broken, Davis."

Davis. A rather peculiar nickname given to the soccer enthusiast. Let's just summarize the tale of its giving and say it involved a joke about Daisuke and his non-existent resemblance to a famous dog actor in America.

"Well..." began Daisuke rather cautiously, "I was just thinking... about, y'know, how all the older kids were leaving and stuff, and I was wondering if that's, well, what we're all gonna do when we're their ages-like, break all our ties with each-other and...go."

Ken was silent as he thought about his friend's comment. He glanced over to where all the Digimon were seated. They were as playful and rowdy as always. And looking at Ken's own table, everyone and everything was as normal as always.

"There's no way that would ever happen, Daisuke. Look at everyone—I'd say we're even closer friends than Tai and his gang," Ken said, cracking open a fortune cookie that came with all their celebratory meals. He read it aloud, changing the subject in the process.

" '_Your future will always be visible, so don't close your eyes'_, that's what my paper says. What about yours?"

Daisuke's eye twitched, "P-paper? There was paper in that cookie? I just ate the thing whole!" The rest of the kids heard that last part, and laughed. Daisuke scratched his head and laughed along.

"I guess we should all read our fortunes together," suggested Hikari, opening her's and pulling out the slip. The other three did the same.

" '_Sometimes the worst times allow you to remember the best times, which you had forgotten', " _read Kari.

" _'Honour your parents always, for without __**them, **__there is no __**you**__', _" said Miyako, "Well duh!"

" _'Excitement and intrigue follow you closely wherever you go', _" read Iori, himself not sounding very intrigued.

When Takeru pulled his out and looked at it, he grinned. " _'He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at'," _he said, "I guess I can relate to that." This, of course, made everyone else snicker and giggle.

"Jeez, now I kinda want my own fortune to read," Daisuke said, hardly trying to hide his disappointment, "They should label those things so unsuspecting people like myself don't eat their one and only fortune!"

"It's common sense that fortune cookies have fortunes inside them—is this like your first time eating them or something?" asked Miyako, which piqued the interest of the rest of the group. Daisuke nodded, and silently hummed, "Mhm."

"Wow, so you've never eaten Chinese food before?" a surprised Takeru said. Daisuke shook his head. Ken made a suggestion.

"That settles it then. We're going to have to take Daisuke out for some Chinese food. It's the only way past this."

Hikari chimed in, jokingly serious, "I agree, it's the only proper thing to do, really." Everyone else did the same, adding in their own serious response. A smile slowly emerged on Daisuke's face. His tiny bit of sadness fought the good fight, but it was defeated easily by his friends. They always knew how to brighten up his day.

"Thanks for the offer guys, but I think before we go to any restaurant we need to go to a tailor and get Iori a proper suit," the boy who still wore his old flame-pattern jacket joked. Everyone chuckled, except Iori, who was offended.

"I don't see what's so funny about it. It was my grandfather's, and he wore it to every special event after the day he got it," defended the shortest of the six, although this title was almost Hikari's, as the _kendo f_an had finally hit a much overdue growth spurt.

"You look like you just attended a funeral with the Addams family," said Takeru. Now even the bunt of the jokes was smiling a bit, although he was still adamant about his opinion.

"It's an older style of dress suit, and I'm very proud to represent my grandfather in wearing it." And then Daisuke took things too far. "Haha, now all you need... is a skeleton costume... to go underneath it, and you'll look just like him!" he said in between laughs. Everyone went silent, and the awkwardness set in, but before Daisuke could apologize, Ken interjected.

"Hikari went outside. She said she wasn't feeling well," he said, breaking the very thick ice. Iori stood up.

"I'll go check on her. Daisuke," said Iori, flatly, "I know that you've never experienced death in your family, so I forgive you for joking about the one in mine." Daisuke staggered out of his seat to follow as the other boy left, but Takeru grabbed him.

"Lemme go!" commanded Daisuke, trying fruitlessly to break free of Takeru's grip. The handsome boy ignored the order. "Iori, I can go see how she is. You don't need to use her as an excuse to get away."

Iori turned around, slightly ticked off. "Do you think you're the only one who is concerned about her? It seems like that's the case every time she's having problems. If you like her so much, then why don't you—"

Now it was Miyako's turn to stand up and confront the issue. "That's enough you guys! For one, if Hikari left, then she didn't want to be here around you idiots! Two, if you'd just look around, you'd notice we're now the centre of attention and ruining the ceremony!"

The truth hit them like a ton of bricks...or more realistically, like a few hundred open-mouthed faces staring at them. Takeru slowly released Daisuke, and the rowdy teenager brushed himself off. Miyako took a seat, and Iori began to walk away again, though not before Takeru let his emotions get the better of him.

"What was it that you were going to suggest, Iori? What is it you think I should do?"

Then something happened that Takeru, nay everyone, wasn't expecting, at least from that once short and quiet child. Iori placed his hands in his pockets, and looked over his shoulders. He wore a satisfied grin on his face.

"You don't know? Well, maybe I'll just ask her then..."

Takeru's brow furrowed. The young boy looked ready to kill, but Ken sprang up and held him back, just in case. "Let it go. He's just taking his anguish out on someone else," Ken said, just loud enough for Iori to hear. The boy whose hair was done up into a ponytail continued to walk out the doors.

Matt appeared beside Takeru, none too much happier-looking than Takeru himself. The younger sibling finally realized what he was doing, and where, and hung his head.

"Guys, knock it off. I could care less about the interruption, but not everyone here is your friend, or mine. If you can't help but act like ninth graders, do it outside," lorded Matt.

Daisuke couldn't remember much about the rest of the night. He was already drowsy when the ceremony began, but then, after he stood up to talk to Iori, it got even worse...and everything around him got so blurry... and cute, fluffy sheep started to jump over fences in his dreams...

***A Long Time Later...***

Daisuke was quite startled when he woke up, sometime in the morning, to see his room all around him. It was a lot different than he remembered. There were no posters or action figures, and his old colourful alarm clock was now just a standard grey one. V-Mon was to his right, hogging most of the pillow, and drooling a river.

"V-Mon?" enquired the groggy youngster. He shook his companion, and the blue Digimon snapped awake. But, unlike what he would normally do, V-Mon just sat up and stared at his partner, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Daisuke scratched his sweaty chest.

"What happened last night? I totally blacked out after the whole Iori and Takeru thing."

His Digimon friend's mouth opened and he began to ask one question, but settled on another. V-Mon managed a smile. "Daisuke, have you been staying up late, reading comics and eating those taco-flavoured jelly beans again?" The boy shook his head, rather confused.

"I'm pretty sure you're just yankin' my chain, but I'll play along," said V-Mon. "None of that stuff happened last night, Daisuke. You just came home from soccer practice, took a shower, and hit the sack, remember?"

Daisuke, who was previously looking down at his feet, wrapped around the bed covers, slowly met eyes with his Digimon. "W-what? I don't remember any of that!" shouted the boy. V-Mon stood up now.

"Oh great. Did you develop amnesia overnight or something? Guess it could have been from when Shibayama kicked the soccer ball and it hit you in the head—then again, he does that nearly every day, so that prob—". Daisuke grabbed hold of V-Mon's tiny shoulders, and peered into his scarlet eyes.

"I'm not pulling your leg, V-Mon! The last day I remember is March 17th!" rose the voice of the sixteen year old, who just now noticed how long his arms had grown. Daisuke never acted this way, so V-Mon got the idea quickly.

"When we got really sick from eating all those marshmallow swans?"

"No, the March before that, I guess!"

"Um...was it when you asked that tall, really hot girl out on a date and she almost said yes but you accidentally tripped on your shoelaces and made a complete fool of yourself?"

"No, it was-wait, you mean Kaibara Aimi? I asked HER out? And I messed it up? How could you-nevermind! It must be the March 17th before that-how long have I forgotten?"

"Wait...you must mean...the day of Y-Yamato and Sora's graduation party?" The dragon Digimon was shaking. Daisuke nodded. V-Mon stumbled to speak, "L-Let's see...that was, um, a month and, err, two years ago. I don't even know where to—I mean so much happened—an-an-and then—".

"Tell me everything. Please, I want to hear everything!" pleaded Daisuke, nearly about to cry. V-Mon looked at the pillow, then at Daisuke. The teenager's D-Terminal vibrated, the usual action that occurred when a scheduled event is due to take place soon.

"Daisuke, d-don't look at that message! Please, you're not gonna like it if it's what I think it is!"

The far too inquisitive boy ignored his partner's words and flipped open the device. He read what was displayed, word by heavy word, and as he did, his mouth opened considerably wider and his pupils grew almost incomprehensibly small. This is what was flashing on the D-Terminal's screen:

_Tuesday, April 17th , 2007_

_11:09:52_

_Today :_

_Two Year Anniversary of Takeru's Death_

_Drop Off Flowers (A Set To Hikari, A Set To The Memorial)_

Preview – **Chapter 3 : **Daisuke is forced back unto the surface by a creature in the sewers, and it's a classic case of "out of the frying pan, into the oven" as he meets Ichijouji Ken for the first time in two years. Before 'pleasantries' can be exchanged, however, the two are accosted by the monstrous Digimon from before.


	3. Just One Of Those Days

**Chapter 3 : **

**Just One Of "Those" Days**

He knew he shouldn't have been sitting there crying, remembering his painful memories. Daisuke had only remembered a few since he 'woke up' from his long 'sleep' two weeks ago, but the explanation V-Mon gave him that morning really tipped things over the edge. He could see, in his head, the day he met his current 'friends', when he fought with his old ones, and when they all finally agreed to split up. The world no longer had a need for some "superhero team of kids with Digimon", as Iori put it.

Daisuke finally stood up. His pant-legs were covered in slimy sewer grime, from when he was kneeling down, and a crack in the ceiling had been dripping dirty water on him for the few seconds he was sobbing. He brushed himself off, fighting back some sniffles as he did. Daisuke crept onwards, holding his makeshift flashlight in his right hand and keeping his balance with his left hand whenever he went over a particularly wet area of the path.

"I gotta pick a place far away from where I came in. If I go up somewhere close by I'm sure that monster will find me," said Daisuke aloud, scanning the area as he walked. Sometimes there would be a ladder leading up to the surface, and he'd have to fight the urge to go up. It was rather creepy down there, and every few minutes he thought he heard sounds behind him.

"_But who would be down here besides me, haha?" _thought the boy, trying to bolster himself.

He eventually found himself facing a dilemma; the 'road' split into three directions now. He wished he had some sort of sewer map so he could tell which district he'd wind up in, but decidedly just went with the right path. After all, that was the direction Odaiba was in when he had jumped down the hole in the first place.

***SNAP SNAP SNAP***

Daisuke nearly jumped out of his coat when he heard the very clear and frightening noise behind him. It was clear to him what beast was making the noise despite not being able to see it even when he shone the light towards the source of the snapping. It was definitely a sewer crocodile, and it was definitely getting closer. Now, most people say sewer crocs are just myths, but after today Daisuke would know better.

There was no time for Daisuke to second guess himself, and he chose the closest ladder he could find to climb up on. It was either get eaten alive down there or hunted down outside. There was no argument as to which was the cleaner death, and at least on the surface he had a chance. Gripping the rusty metal with sweaty palms the boy hastily clambered up the bars. The croc was hissing and groaning below, having closed their distance in no time. Her oh-so wanted meal was currently out of reach.

Unfortunately for Daisuke, he could not lift the sewer hatch no matter how hard he pushed. He punched it as hard as he could, and screamed for help. The witty reptilian pursuer below was a very good jumper, and it didn't take long for her to be snapping at Daisuke's heels. Now the boy was really frantic.

"Dammit! I don't wanna die in a sewer! Come on, if there's anyone out there, help me!"

By some stroke of luck, there was. The hatch slowly opened, and Daisuke scurried up. The mysterious Good Samaritan was now gone, leaving Daisuke with the task of closing up the opening before the croc got the last laugh.

Finally having escaped, the stunned boy fell against the side of a building and breathed a sigh of relief. Something caught his eye as he relaxed.

Perched atop a building on the other side of the street was none other than Stingmon; whether or not this was Ken's Stingmon wasn't known to Daisuke at the time (since Digimon had become an acceptable part of human society, is was now normal for anyone to see 3-4 different Stingmons a week). Too tired and too comfortable being silent and seated, Daisuke merely smiled at his saviour. This continued for another ten minutes until Stingmon flew away.

_I wonder if that was Ken's Stingmon..._

Daisuke picked himself off the ground and nodded to no one.

_Even if it isn't, I might as well follow him. He's gotta have a Tamer, and any human with a Digimon is better company than that monster from before!_

Once again Daisuke found himself walking on his two tired legs, this time down a foreboding alleyway. It smelled of something putrid, as alleys usually do. Daisuke covered his nose as he walked past what was giving off the foul odour; a massive pile of rotting meat was sitting out in the open. Something with such a smell would surely attract the giant monster from before, so Daisuke wasted no time in picking up the pace.

He knew which direction Stingmon had flown in, though he wasn't quite sure where he would have landed. Perhaps into a building, or into another alley. Daisuke was once again on an open street, and figured his enemy wasn't far off. He could only pick out a few people moving, and all of them looked in a hurry. Daisuke ran down another alley, this one sporting a much nicer smell.

Daisuke turned a few more corners and ran through a couple more alleys until finally he came to a street he recognized.

_If I follow this road for another four or five minutes it'll bring me to the Rainbow Bridge...but what if the monster is still following me?_

The monster could easily see him running down a barren road, and even if there were more sewer hatches, Daisuke could feel that he wouldn't be able to open any of them in time. He was far more tired than one would think, and was just about to give up altogether.

A Stingmon suddenly appeared in the corner of Daisuke's eye, although his stay was only temporary. He quickly flew away, out from the window of a rather spooky looking building; the Sabo-Nenji apartment complex, closed down five years ago due to structural damage, and now used primarily as a hangout by gangs and the homeless. Daisuke wasn't a particularly well-educated boy, so he didn't know this.

_That Stingmon's Tamer must be in there somewhere, and if it's Ken that's even better. But, if it is Ken..._

Daisuke shook his thought away. He jogged down two streets before he reached the building's dilapidated entrance, and stepped inside. It was dank and eerie, and ill will was its guest of honour. In one corner of this first floor a large bottle of alcohol sat next to a passed out man, and in the adjacent corner was a burning drum. Huddled around it were three men, all obviously inhabitants of the complex. One of them coughed, and pointed at the intruder.

"Oi, you shouldn't be in here kid. Ifen 'he' sees ya, you're toast."

"Who's 'he' "?

"Eh, he's some kid—but don't be thinkin' whatch yer thinking! He might be a kid but he's got a whole wack of other kids following him, and some super strong Digimon. Apparently he used to be a Chosen Child or something—"

"I knew it! It is Ken! He's up on the top floor right?"

The man cleared his throat rather loudly, "Yep, err, 'e is...but yer not going up are ya? He usually doesn't take kindly to random visitors this time-a-day."

Daisuke smiled, "It's okay, we're friends...at least, we used to be. We're still acquaintances I guess."

"Heh, I didn't think he'd have any friends. Guy like him, pretty cruel when he wants to be. Even those close to 'im now are more afraid of 'im than they are anything else."

"What, Ken? Cruel? You're insane! Ken's pretty much the nicest kid I know—anyway, I don't have time to talk with you! I gotta go find him!"

*****Four Sets of Stairs Later...*****

"This must be the room..." whispered Daisuke as he peered around a door into a spacious room. It was quite bare. There were six or seven busted-up chairs in a circle, a run-down television set on a cardboard box (sporting rabbit ears) and a messy rug lying between it all. The four windows of the room, all without any glass, were no longer rectangular but rather crooked and misshapen. One of them had collapsed in on itself.

Watching attentively from one of the windows was a teenager. He wore a bulky, black jacket, loose jeans and sleek white runners. He had black hair like Ken's, but his was rough and spaced at the ends. Daisuke proceeded into the room, making not even one sound (an amazing feat for Daisuke; he'd have to reward himself later).

"I keep telling you what I think of your 'plan'. Here to try and change my mind again?"

Daisuke froze. Ken turned around, revealing a handgun in his left hand. He pointed it at the intruder. Both boys' mouths dropped.

"M-Motomiya..."

"Holy c-crap Ken, p-put that down, dude! It's me!"

"I...I..." he hesitated, and lowered the firearm, stumbling backwards like a drunk until he hit the wall. He felt his back press against it, and fell down. He slowly raised his head, and sneered at Daisuke.

"It's 'you'? And who are you to me anymore? I didn't say you could come here."

Daisuke felt uneasy. He was feeling many other emotions that stemmed from Ken, but the uneasiness ruled them all. It was like there was a third force in the room; it was not physical, and yet at the same time it had a substance to it. Daisuke could only stare at his former friend as the once kind boy revealed the extent of his change.

"Well? Are you some sort of mentally-challenged kid? Answer me!"

Before Daisuke could pull a reply out of his confused mumbling, Stingmon flew in from a window next to the television. Ken's partner's arrival sent him into a frenzy. He rose up.

"Stingmon! You fool! Why are you here AGAIN? Are you a simpleton? Are you brain-dead?"

"Hey, don't talk to Stingmon like that Ken! He's your best friend! What's gotten into you?" Ken turned and snarled. Stingmon addressed Daisuke in a soft voice.

"Hello, Motomiya. It's...it's good to see you again after so long—"

Ken snapped, "SHUT UP! Did I say you could talk to him?"

"I apologize, Master. You see, I-I sensed you were in danger, so that's why I came back this time—"

"Well I'm not, as you can clearly see. The only thing here putting me in any sort of danger is this little brat; putting me in danger of becoming a dimwit by his being here!"

Daisuke took a step back. _Dimwit_. How could Ichijouji Ken, the Child of Kindness, say something so insulting to his friend? To anyone, for that matter? He wondered how long he had been treating Stingmon that way, and if he had been treating others the same.

Stingmon nodded, "I understand Ken, sir." The buggy Champion flew away. "Wait Stingmon!" called Daisuke, drawing back his former-friend's attention. The deranged boy wore such a disgusting look of malice on his face that just by seeing it Daisuke felt like he could be sick.

"Seriously Ken, what the hell is your freaking problem? Was Takeru's death THAT hard on you, or is there something else?"

The now-insane boy raised the firearm and pointed it directly at Daisuke's forehead, ignoring the asked question.

"I'm through having to be in your useless presence, worm..."

"W-whoa, w-wait K-Ken...let's talk—" uttered Daisuke. Ken pulled the trigger slowly, relishing the fear he was inflicting on his target, and the hammer of the gun slowly moved backwards.

***CRASH***

The roof and walls of the room were viciously and suddenly strewn apart like toy bricks and flew all around the duo. Ken's arm was hit by a chunk of concrete, and the bullet that left the chamber of the gun missed Daisuke's temple by five millimetres, instead skimming his ear. There was no time for either child to react as more debris was quick to arrive.

An incredibly large rock belted Daisuke in his abdomen; his narrowing pupils and strained groaning testaments to the pain it caused him. He tripped on a stone as he faltered and fell over, hitting his head and blurring his vision. Ken's situation wasn't much better, with a few of the biggest pieces having formed a hefty deterrence on top of him. Only a bent arm and a leg could be seen poking out from under the pile of material.

A dizzy Daisuke surveyed the area from his downed position, the movement of his head and eyes being stunted now on account of the fall. He looked to his left, then to his right, and to his left again. Finally, something sinister emerged directly above him. At this point all he could make out was two narrow slits; piercing eyes that even a blind man could discern.

"Get up. Judgement has come, and I will not allow you to feel its wrath while you sit and wallow in your pitiful malady."

Daisuke pushed through knives just to hoist himself up, his arms shaking uncontrollably as he barely held his body up. His vision was beginning to clear up. Now he could make out a large ridge on a medium-size head, and a solid frame of a creature with long, gangly arms. The voice continued.

"You have been found guilty of two crimes against the Masters of the Digital World. I would explain each to you in full detail but time is not a luxury I have at the moment, so I'll put it simply..."

Gangly legs supporting a bulky upper-body came into picture, as did a nose-less face with a straight mouth and emotionless expression.

"...due to your leadership role in the criminal organization known as the 'Chosen Children' and the murdering of a Demon Corps member, you will be punished immediately, at my discretion, in lieu of a proper trial."

Pink, purple, grey... these colours swirled around Daisuke's mind now. He lost all strength, and fell back down. He felt his hair soak up some sort of liquid, probably his own blood.

"I, Ykanmon, high magistrate of His Lordship Daemon's court, with consent to do as I please in the matter of this case's verdict, have the utmost pleasure in condemning you..."

While the rest of his body failed him, Daisuke's eyes worked as best as they ever had, and the boy finally realized who was lumbering above him. It was the Digimon who had attacked him and the ramen cart owner before.

"**...Motomiya Daisuke, to death."**

Preview – **Chapter 4 : **How is it possible? Two hours ago, V-Mon was being dragged into some strange portal, probably just as scared as Daisuke was, and now he comes back, out of nowhere, as XV-Mon. And WHOA is he ever stronger. But is he strong enough to beat Ykanmon? Stingmon's there to help, but even the two of them might not have what it takes...


End file.
